| Create a new document of 500×708 pixels. Download Abandoned Hospital 13 by Kathy Ophelia. Open up the image and drag it into your working document. Rename this layer to Hospital. |
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| Create a Hue/Saturation Adjustment layer above the Hospital layer and key the Hue to 75, Saturation to -50 and Lightness to 0. |
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| Download Mad About You by Mjranum Stock. Extract the man from his background and place him in the middle of the document as shown in the example below. Refer to this post for various methods of extractions. Rename this layer as Original Man. |
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| Duplicate Original Man layer. Select the duplicated copy and go to Edit > Free Transform. Compress the image towards the bottom as shown in the example below. |
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| Now go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation. Enter -100 for Lightness. Then Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter 10 pixels for the Radius. Rename this layer as Man Shadow. |
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| Download In Your Face by Mjranum Stock. There are two heads in the stock. Extract one of them and place it behind Original Man layer. Go to Image > Adjustments > Desaturate. Rename this layer as Head 1. |
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| Repeat the same step as above for the other head in the stock image. Rename this layer as Head 2. |
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| Repeat the same step as above for the Mad About You stock image. Rename this layer as Head 3. |
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| Select Head 1 layer, go to Filter > Liquify. Select the Twirl Clockwise Tool. Set the Brush Size to around 495, Pressure to 100 and leave the rest as default. Deform the face slightly by pushing your cursor towards the face. |
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| Repeat the same step as above for Head 2 and Head 3 layers. |
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| Download Smoke Brush Set 2 and Smoke Brush Set 1 from Falln Brushes. Set the foreground color to #000000. Create a new layer behind Head 1, 2 and 3. Rename this new layer as Smoke. Paint some random smoke with the brushes behind the heads. |
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| This is how it will look like with the black smokes. |
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| Now hide all the other layers, leaving only the heads and the smokes. Go to Channels tab and select the Red Channel. |
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| Ctrl+left click on the Red Channel to load a selection. Go back to Layers tab. Go to Select > Inverse. Hide all the heads and smokes layers. Create a new layer and fill the selection with #FFFFFF. Rename this new layer as Smoke Faces. |
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| Duplicate the Smoke Faces layer. Select the duplicated copy and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the radius to 8px. Set the Blend Mode of this layer to Screen and Opacity to 80%. |
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| Create a Levels Adjustment Layer above the Smoke Faces layer. Set the values to 40, 0.61, 255. |
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| Download the Debris Brushes by Zigabooooo. Select the Eraser tool and set the type to one of the debris brushes. Erase parts of the Original Man as shown below. |
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| Duplicate the Original Man layer. Go to Edit > Free Transform to enlarge the duplicated copy slightly. Rename this layer as Enlarged Man. |
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| Select the Enlarged Man layer and apply a Layer Mask to it. Fill the mask with #000000. Set the foreground color to #FFFFFF. Select the Brush tool and set the type to one of the Debris brushes. On the layer mask, paint around the border to the man to create an explosive effect. |
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| Flatten all your layers. Now is the interesting part. Download Topaz Adjust from Topaz Labs. It is an excellent filter that can be trial use for 30 days with full functions. Install the program and restart Photoshop. Go to Filter > Topaz Labs > Topaz Adjust 3. Open up the Presets on the left and select Portrait Drama. Leave all the settings as default and hit OK. |
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| You are almost done. If you wish to adjust the colors further, you may create a Curves Adjustment Layer to adjust the RGB curves. |
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| This is the final work. Hope you all enjoy this tutorial. Thanks! |
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I am Johnson Koh, a graphic and web designer in Singapore. Founded 10Steps.SG in August 2008 with the purpose to share my experiments and interesting design news.
man can u put video plz !
hey ur tutorial is gr8, but im stuck at
ctrl+left click on red chanel to load a selection, out there i cant inverse the selection….. plzzzzzzzz help me out
hy…..i have little problems here….i’v stuck here:
“Now hide all the other layers, leaving only the heads and the smokes. Go to Channels tab and select the Red Channel.
Ctrl+left click on the Red Channel to load a selection. Go back to Layers tab. Go to Select > Inverse. Hide all the heads and smokes layers. Create a new layer and fill the selection with #FFFFFF. Rename this new layer as Smoke Faces.
Duplicate the Smoke Faces layer. Select the duplicated copy and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the radius to 8px. Set the Blend Mode of this layer to Screen and Opacity to 80%.”
i’m not getting same picture you have….
i got this:
http://i49.tinypic.com/63uele.jpg
can you solve my problem?
tnx
wow… all of your stuff is very cool and useful ^^
hi nice work i really learned a lot from you hope you can make other master piece and post it in this site… i looking forward to it thank you ..
Cool. Will definitely update this blog with much more tutorials. Feel free to drop me a note of suggestions if you have any pal!
Hi … I found your site by mistake. I was looking in Google for Accounting software that I had already purchased when I found your site, I must say your website is really cool I just love the theme, its amazing!. I don’t have the time today to totally read your entire site but I have bookmarked it and also signed up for your RSS feeds. I will be back in a day or two. Thanks again for a nice site.
Ooh gosh i just wrote a long comment and as soon as i submitted it it come up blank! Please tell me it worked right? I do not want to sumit it again if i do not have to! Either the blog bugged out or i am just stuipd, the latter doesnt surprise me lol.
I liked very much your work, so, I tried something similar…
With ur permission, I added a link where is my work, accept critiques…
http://tonela.deviantart.com/art/Madness-141425771
Very nice tuto!!! Thanksss!!!!
Two thumps up..n more..
cool bro….
Thanks everyone! Hope you guys enjoyed the Saturday.
Actually I still prefer CS3 than 4.
@Thomas: Sorry for my late reply
@Shutter-bug: It is great to have you here!
That is completely brilliant.
Retired photographer. After 50 years, still learning
Very nice
Thank’s
@jerson!hahaha..bisaya diay ka dong..dali lang man xa..pag try lang gud!
dili gyud ko maka balo oi.. ambot gi-unsa na ninyu pag himu
awesome…. i’ll give it a try..
2 Thumbs up. Impressive work.
Johnson.. thx for the help man. it helped me out alot..
and btw the tut deserves max scale.. it’s really impressive, and I’m only working with Photoshop CS, and even I can make it in there..
Even though I know that I prob should buy CS 4 very soon..
Wow, impressive design & interesting tutorial this tutorial deserve 10 out of 10
i’m sorry
beginner always make a prob.
er.
i can’t really understand about this statement.
” Create a new layer and fill the selection with #FFFFFF.”
so..really stuck to the heart my friend.huhu.
sorry again.
Hi Thomas, Thanks for trying out the tut
To create a Levels Adjustment Layer, first open Layers Panel (if you have not done so), Window > Layers.
Then look for a button named “Create new fill or adjustment layer”. Click on that button and select “Levels”.
Hope these helps!
Well now did I try to make it as you say.. but I got stuck @ “crate a Level Adjustment layer above” but the layer, what do you fill the layer with? cuz I can’t use it when there is nothing on the layer..
please respond, I love your work..
Thanks everyone!
hey dude,
Wow, impressive design & intresting tutorial
this tutorial deserve 10 out of 10
cheers
*drool*
Wow, impressive image, interesting looking tutorial (haven’t followed it yet but I’ll try it). I hope my version of PS has all the required features! Got CS3 at work so I should be good I hope.
wow! very nice!
This tutorial deserves a 10.. Really amazing and nice techniques.
great work john…..
@ricardofx: Yup. Mclovin has been a good supporter
@Ronald: Thanks and welcome back! Great to see you again
Your really doing great on your tutorials johnson
thumbs up 
yes
Thanks everyone!
@ricardofx: Are you referring to the Mclovin in one of the earlier comments?
very cool tut..more of this johnson. :0
Wow that’s terrific ! I Think i’ll give a try. Thx
wow,wow,wow… @johnson;stunning tutorial man!
great idea,great job,beatyfull composicion,reaaly god idea,nice photos…
congratz bro!
ps:you know @maclovin? good guy i think
regards.
AMAZING!!
This is you johnny every time you get writers block lmfao !
Great Tutorial Thanks love the mental effect
this is amazing tutorials, its a good one
That was Waaay Cool! Thanks!
it is pretty awesome great job
Thanks friends!
@Mclovin: I will try harder for the next one
Awesome tutorial! Thanks for sharing!
I can’t believe it…WOW
Great job
its just an opinion but i dont like it,sorry
you usually make a great job
Wowsers! Great tutorial
Now that’s pretty cool!